sootie007

Long time lurker .....I have owned several classics and do my own wrenching on all my cars and built a few drag engines etc . So I have decided to "slightly" upgrade my 305 TBI in my 91 RS convertible with old school boltons and a cam .......I am trying to be cheap yet give it a decent performance boost without going too deep (no computers, chips, injection upgrades, 350 swap, converter, heads etc ) . Additionally I didn't want to pull it out of the car as I have two small kids who need a lot of attention - time from me these days, just got my garage cleaned-organized from all my past projects and I will probably do like everyone else does and drop a 383 in it when time and money permit in a few years for a real h.p. boost. Some of these parts I will reuse / sell then. Im going for simplicity and something that looks nice when you lift the hood at local shows ......starting at 170 hp and 255 TQ I figure this upgrade package will end up at 250 HP ish and 300 +TQ. My parts list is as follows.......

GMPP Ramjet roller cam p/n 14097395 $179............ 246/256 - .431/.451 109 LSA vs
"Peanut cam" Stock L03-L05 camshaft p/n 10088155 229/244 - .350/.384 109 LSA

Edelbrock EPS Dual plane Intake p/n EDL-2701 $139.97 ...NOTE for you guys with emission inspections - it does have the EGR passage going through the manifold floor . Gasket sets come with super thin mini EGR block off plates .

*NOTE with the above intake you will need to elongate the center 4 mounting bolt holes in the intake as the 91 TBI heads have a different angle on them (almost straight up and down) see photo below in thread.

Summit 600 VS carb (first time using this carb for me I am a Barry Grant, Holley guy on all my previous builds. ) Looks like an extremely simple design yet has some decent adjustability. P/N SUM-M08600VS -NOTE upon arrival / inspection was surprised to see annular boosters in this cheaper carb . Comes with a super thick ~ 3/8 black funky base gasket (This will be good to combat percolation issues some are reporting when switching TBI to carb. ) $279

Update - Ended up going to the 750 vs version of this summit carb. I ran both CFM's on it and felt no difference between 600 vs 750 at this HP level.

Ebay HEI 50K $60

4309 - Mallory Fuel Pressure Regulator p/n MAA-4309 $101.97

Summit -Flowtek shortie headers p/n SUM-G9005 $115.97 , matching y pipe p/n BIG-11102YFLT $136.95

A.c. delete pulley RNB-34157 $33 ...NOTE I ended up not using this part and bought a different sized serpentine belt and ran slightly different routing. I just didn't personally like the look of the large wheel . You are left with a large hole in the left side of the serpentine system where the compressor or ac delete pulley goes but I will fill it with something.

Lockup controller : http://www.monstertransmission.com/7...l#.UxJWf_ldV1Z (Thanks to Lmancha for the tip)

sootie007

Ordered ! Parts are on the way ....I will go ahead and try to do a semi detailed build thread with pics of this setup and let you know how it feels performs over stock at the end .

Lmancha96

Well you seem to know what your doing.

Interested in seeing your results. I cant wait to remove my LO3 and swap in a boosted 383 lol. I'm way to impatient to invest any money into the LO3.

anyways good luck.


Ive been looking at this lock up kit from monster transmissions for my car I will most likely be getting it next pay day. Check it out http://www.monstertransmission.com/7...l#.UxJWf_ldV1Z

sootie007

Lmancha thanks very much buddy I will order that overdrive kit now - that's a great piece / design and you don't have to drop the pan like all the other kits require ! Thanks again ...I already received a bunch of my parts today from the Summit GA warehouse to Florida ...will snap some pics of the pieces and post for others to use down the road when they do their tbi to carb swaps.

I know what you mean about "investing" in the pukey L03 ...my last engine was a 430 horse Aluminum headed 462 Buick Stage One with 530 ft lbs ......so I have seen the promised land lol.....but I figured I will just make it a little more fun to drive , make the engine look old school and reuse a few pieces on a 383 build in 2-3 years....I am having "cam regret" like everyone does .... I know that Ramjet cam will work well in there but I almost want to put an intentionally larger cam in there to give it a lopier idle- all bark no bite even if it doesn't run as well .......its just not a hot rod to me if it isn't making noise lol.

86LG4Bird

iTrader: (1)

I was thinking the very same thing: why put that Ramjet cam in a light vehicle that doesn't need lugging torque towing 5000 lbs with the TCC locked?
Since I see you're not pulling the motor, I guess that also means you don't really want to drop the tranny and change the TC at this point either? If that's the case, then I can see why a cam like that makes sense in a small cube motor.
Just upgrading to a 2600 9.5" converter would open your cam options tremendously.
FWIW, I'm running a ZZ3 cam (208/221/112) in the L31 (350 ci) under a Performer manifold and CCC carb in the F-bird, and it pulls like a tractor at 1000 rpm with the TCC locked.
Even with your stock TC, I'd put a little more cam in it. I like the Comp XE series lobes; good lift under the curve with shorter seat-to-seat timing so they make good power yet don't give up much at low end in small cube motors. Yet they don't beat up the valvetrain at higher rpm like their XFI lobes do. I think something like the Comp 08-408-8 (206/212/110) would be a good choice even with the stock TC for now.

sootie007

Y I agree .....but I want to keep it simple , no torque converter change etc , look at these DD numbers someone on another website calculated for that ramjet cam in the 305 L03

Desktop dyno Ramjet cam in a 305

2000-135 354 tq
2500-167-352
3000-196-343
3500-213-319
4000-222-291
4500-210-237

I have heard these L03 heads are finished at 4000-4500 due to their design so you might as well have all your "fun" before you hit that wall -bottle neck is what I was thinking. With the ramjet cam it appears to be L98 350 cid levels of torque out of the 305 .

As a second choice I am thinking is the L98 cam ....I have "heard" that L98 cam pulls a "little" slightly further up the rpm range ........

I owned a bone stock L98 1990 Corvette Auto many moons ago and was always impressed with its tq and power curve for what it was .

Baby cams mainly because I don't want to purchase a converter or crack the tranny open. Just want a slightly hotter cruiser that can roast ....

I heard the G92 cars had the L98 cam in them and were good for 25 hp .

At the end of the day this is just a torque build.

Will an L98 cam with stock 305 heads pull past 4000 ?

86LG4Bird

iTrader: (1)

Then I'd stick with your first idea of the Ramjet cam.
I only threw that Comp cam suggestion out there since you mentioned going intentionally larger to give it some "authority" at idle...lol!
I don't know if those L03 heads are same/similar to those on the LG4 motor in my '86, but I shifted that at 5000 for best ET even with the peanut cam, so my guess is that yours would be useable well over 4000 with either of these cams being discussed.
As for the L98 cam, with its wider lobe separation and same or slightly greater seat-to-seat, I'd expect it to be slightly weaker in the midrange with your heads than that Comp 408. But hey, I'm splitting hairs now, and if you do anything at all like I do, then price/availability decides it. Same reason I run ZZ3 cams in Vortec 350 builds; I was able to get them for 1/4 the price of the Comp 212/218 that I'd prefer.

sootie007

Thanks Bird good info- hopefully the 4000-4500 nosedive doesn't happen with this Ramjet cam then...I will let everyone know how she feels when complete ...lets face it I am putting lipstick on a pig here ...... Oh believe me I am in the same boat - price is a major concern as any spare money is usually going to my two little ones as a priority ....but I had a chance to pickup a side job that I made $1200 on so I thought WTH lets buy some switchover parts for the Camaro ... that Ramjet cam brand new was $179 ...not $300 like other rollers..the carb is a rebuilt Summit - cheaper, Edelbrock EPS intake again $139....I will be able to transfer / sell some of these pieces to a 383 in 3-4 years as time- budget permit.... Theorizing probably the Ramjet cam at 109 LC will sound a "tad" throatier than the L98 with 117 LC and I mean a tad ......again these are baby cams as we know and it will probably sound like an early 70's station wagon at best LOL.........

sootie007

Not to beat a baby cam thread to death but here is an interesting opinion on the L98 cam written by someone else ..."https://www.thirdgen.org/mods3

"The 1st to last one, (L98) is only found in 88-89 305's M5 and Corvette 350's ONLY. I see it like this if it was good enough for flagship corvette, its not such a mild cam. Its a great cam and it seriously wakes up a 305. This is the cam in my 88 gta. I run beside stock lt1 and semi stock 350's. I have been informed by some of the best on this board, and lt1/lt4 cam is downgrade from what I run. They also say this a wideband cam. Long high TQ and long mod HP. All the calculators that I have plugged this cam into say the torque peak is at 4k. I know from driving.....

its comes on nice at 1800, 2500 you break the *** free, and at 4k it feels like you've been donkey kicked and hold the bleep on, it still pulls hard to about 52-5500 then its flat on its ***." "

Hmmm so maybe the L98 it is .........

86LG4Bird

iTrader: (1)

I don't know where you are, but here it's pure **** outside, so what the h@ll, let's beat it to death...lol!
I agree that the LT1 cam with its wider LSA would be a downgrade from the L98 cam in the '88 GTA. I don't believe a torque peak at 4k, more like 3k, but its power peak should be well above 4k.

sootie007

Not to rub it in but I am in Florida and I was literally sweating yesterday finishing up the carpet job in my 91 RS Vert ........ps what a pain in the axx just to put carpet in ...I had no choice however as the carpet was thread bare and literally skanked up to high heaven with coffee stains etc from the pigpen previous owner ...just glad that's over now on to the "fun" stuff. I will probably start next weekend on disassembly.

Still perplexed - do I go L98 cam , smooth idle 117LC , supposedly pulls a little harder up in the upper range ? , slightly more duration than the Ramjet . CAM 88-89 L98 p/n 10066049 257'/263' Lift (w/1.5) .415"/.430" LobSep 117

OR

Do I stick with this RamJET cam, 109 LC high torque grind , flat as a pool table torque all the way from 1500 - ????? , possible throatier idle because of 109 LC....................................... p/n 14097395 246/256 .431/.451 109

Other "baby" cams

CAM 87 L98 14093643 Dur In/Exh Dur@.050" 202'/206' Lift (w/1.5) .403"/.415" LobSep 114.5'

CAM 88-89 L98 10066049 In/Exh Dur@.050" 207'/213' Lift (w/1.5) .415"/.430" LobSep 117'

CAM 90-91 L98 10111773 In/Exh Dur@.050" 202'/207' Lift (w/1.5) .413"/.428" LobSep 114.5'

92 LT1 205/207 @ 0.050" .451"/.450" Lift, LSA 117

93-95 LT1 202/207 @ 0.050" .450"/.460" Lift, LSA 116

96 LT1 200/207 @ 0.050" .447"/.459" LSA 117

96 LT4 203/210 @ 0.050" .475"/.479" LSA 115

Modifier
10134334 Hydraulic Roller Tappet
This hydraulic roller tappet is used on the 5.7-liter H.O. engine assembly for ZZZ through ZZ2 engines. Use with spring P/N 10134358. The duration at lash point in degrees (intake/exhaust) is 336/336; duration at .050" tappet lift (intake/exhaust) is 235/235; and maximum lift with 1.5:1 rocker ratio (intake/exhaust) is 480/480. Valve lash is zero/zero and lobe centerline is 114 degrees. Small Image


Modifier
10185071 Hydraulic Roller Tappet
This hydraulic roller tappet is used on the 5.7-liter H.O. 350 ZZ3 & 4 engines. The duration at lash point in degrees (intake/exhaust) is 275/280; duration at .050" tappet lift (intake/exhaust) is 208/221; and maximum lift with 1.5:1 rocker ratio (intake/exhaust) is 474/501. Valve lash is zero/zero and lobe centerline is 112 degrees. Small Image


Modifier
12370845 Hydraulic Roller Design
This hydraulic roller design contains eccentric for mechanical fuel pump. It is for off-road use only. The duration at .050" tappet lift (intake/exhaust) is 214/224; and maximum lift with 1.5:1 rocker ratio (intake/exhaust) is 488/509. Valve lash is zero/zero and lobe centerline is 112 degrees. Small Image


Modifier
12370846 Hydraulic Roller Design
This hydraulic roller design contains eccentric for mechanical fuel pump. It is for off-road use only. The duration at .050" tappet lift (intake/exhaust) is 222/230; and maximum lift with 1.5:1 rocker ratio (intake/exhaust) is 509/528. Valve lash is zero/zero and lobe centerline is 112 degrees. Small Image


Modifier
12370847 Hydraulic Roller Design
This hydraulic roller design contains eccentric for mechanical fuel pump. It is for off-road use only. The duration at .050" tappet lift (intake/exhaust) is 234/242; and maximum lift with 1.5:1 rocker ratio (intake/exhaust) is 539/558. Valve lash is zero/zero and lobe centerline is 112 degrees.

Modifier
12551142 Hydraulic Roller (LT4 Production Cam)
This is an LT4 production cam 1996. The duration at .050" tappet lift (intake/exhaust) is 203/210; and maximum lift with 1.6 rocker ratio (intake/exhaust) is 476/480. Valve lash is zero/zero and lobe centerline is 115 degrees. Small Image


Modifier
12551705 Hydraulic Roller Tappet
This hydraulic roller tappet is used on the 95-97 Corvette and Camaro. The duration at .050" tappet lift (intake/exhaust) is 201/208; and maximum lift with 1.5:1 rocker ratio (intake/exhaust) is 447/459. Valve lash is zero/zero. Small Image


Modifier
14093643 Hydraulic Roller Tappet
This hydraulic roller tappet is used on the 87 350ci Corvette and IROC-Z Camaro. The duration at lash point in degrees (intake/exhaust) is 294/294; duration at .050" tappet lift (intake/exhaust) is 202/206; and maximum lift with 1.5:1 rocker ratio (intake/exhaust) is 403/415. Valve lash is zero/zero and lobe centerline is 115 degrees. Small Image



Modifier
14097395 Hydraulic Roller Design
This hydraulic roller design is used on the 383 truck. The duration at lash point in degrees (intake/exhaust) is 288/308; duration at .050" tappet lift (intake/exhaust) is 196/206; and maximum lift with 1.5:1 rocker ratio (intake/exhaust) is 431/451. Valve lash is zero/zero and lobe centerline is 109 degrees. Small Image


Modifier
24502586 Hydraulic Roller (LT4 Hot Cam)
This hydraulic roller cam is for service only for all V8 engines with roller camshafts. The duration at lash point in degrees (intake/exhaust) is 279/287; duration at .050" tappet lift (intake/exhaust) is 218/228; and maximum lift with 1.6 rocker ratio (intake/exhaust) is 525/525. Valve lash is zero/zero and lobe centerline is 112 degrees. Small Image
Technical Notes: The LT4 camshaft P/N 24502586 was designed to be used in a number of different engines. Therefore, the following change may need to be made to allow for correct assembly of the engine: For LT1 and L98 engines 1995 and before, the dowel pin in the end of the camshaft must be pushed in so extension from end of cam is .30+/-.01", the same as the production part. For 1996 LT1 and LT4 engines, the dowel pin is in the correct position, extending .620" from the end of the camshaft. This camshaft has a fuel pump lobe.

86LG4Bird

iTrader: (1)

I lived in Jupiter for 10 years, working for P&W Military Engines, and will be down there in 3 weeks visiting brother, sister, and friends.

Out of all those, the Ramjet cam is a slam dunk to me. For 305 cubes and L03 heads, none of those other cams will be able to make enough difference at the top to compensate for their shortfall through 90% of the engine's useable range. I even have my doubts they'd top the Ramjet's power curve in that last couple hundred rpm.
Here's a data point to consider. In my L31 (350 Vortec), the stock cam, smaller than the Ramjet at 191/195/111, peaked at 4550 rpm and held decent power to the 5100 shift point. Smaller cam, more cubes, .........so I think the Ramjet cam in yours will be capable of more revs than the rest of the setup will support.

sootie007

Cool so you were Burt Reynolds neighbor at one time - he has a ranch and theatre down there ..... on the combo your logic matches mine 100%... I am thinking the RamJET is the way to go...this little setup using the factory heads should be a REALLY good matching torque combo in the end .

305 Ghetto Torquer build ....

RamJET cam 109 tighter LSA - torque
Smaller carb (600 CFM VAC SEC ) annular boosters, vac sec , - torque
Free flowing Dual plane - should help everwhere a little -torque
Cam has roughly ~20% greater lift over peanut factory cam -torque
Cam duration is low at 246 256 - ealier hp and torque peak ,vs traditional long duration cam choice - torque
Factory swirl ports are designed for- torque
Summit headers

The hell with it I am going with the RAMJET cam wimpy idle and all. Torque should be at least ~330 ft lbs out of this 305 combo according to others DD figures I found out on the web - don't know if that's true or not - but it will only have say 230 -250 ish at best horsepower...the torque however should make it fun to drive for what it is. (This should almost match the 1990 350 corvette numbers Horsepower 245 hp @ 4,000 rpm (convert.) 345 lb-ft @ 3,200 rpm (convert.) I am shooting for - so 350 Corvette factory performance out of a 305. I am really curious to see what this little combo will do from a say a 20 mph roll as it should have all its available TQ right there off the bat then fall off rapidly .....you know how it is - we all tend to over cam to some extent - human nature -no one ever sets out to build a torque only setup so this should be interesting.

86LG4Bird

iTrader: (1)

It won't be a slouch. What you're doing is about as far as a sensible 305 "build" should go, not shoveling money into that throwaway shortblock hole

No joke.... I lived about a 1/4 mile from the back side of his ranch in Jupiter Farms!

sootie007

No way ...did Burt ever break out his bandit car ? I heard it was given to him......yes I think this is the best way to go about this ...as little money in it as possible, can transfer some parts to a real build down the road ....its funny I have never put something together this mild before ....usually the smallest cam I go with is in my past 288 duration , nice converter etc ....who knows maybe this will be a little unique and cheap matched combo for 305 guys to reference here if it runs good ...... We shall see.

Update looks like Burt sold his personal bandit car back in 2009.

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/04/b...uction-in-may/

sootie007

For posteritys sake Cam Card - cam specific details for the RAMJET camshaft P/N GM HR 14097395 ...some guy on the net couldn't get answers so he measured one -detailed it all himself ........

"Short version - it is ground on a 109 LC and ground 3 degress advanced. Read below for more excruciating detail

Most sites, but not all agreed it was ground with 109 lobe seperation, but no one (or place) could tell me if it was ground advanced or not. We went ahead and purchased a new GM HR 14097395 cam pulled from a Ramjet 350 from Ebay. Now most I'm sure would just bolt it in and go, but I had to borrrow a degree wheel and dial indicator so I could find out for sure. Now why would any one buy such a small roller cam ? Because the stocker is even smaller !!! Stock for the 89 Camaro TBI roller is 179/195 @.050 with only .351 intake and .386 exhaust lift, should gain about 35 hp at 4500 rpm (peak) and 50 hp at 5000 !! With no torque loss anywhere !!! Cam was only $70 plus shipping on EBAY.This should be a great cam to replace the stocker in any Vortec equipped truck also, I would think it is small enough not to affect the computer.

Here are the specs I found - note that lobes appear to be asymetrical on opening and closing sides. I did not take duration at lash point as that is pretty meaningless but GM says it is 288/308 - lift measured right on spec with .287/.300 lobe lift for about .430 and .450 at the valve.

Open and Close heights .004 .006 .050 .200

Intake Open 20-btdc 17-btdc 7.5-atdc 50-atdc
Intake Close 60-abdc 53-abdc 24-abdc 20-bbdc

Exhaust Open 63-bbdc 60-bbdc 35-bbdc 8-abdc
Exhaust Close 28-atdc 23-atdc 10-btdc 54-btdc

Here are some numbers distilled from the above that you can plug into you cam calculator to get close to the above actual opening and closing points.

.004 = 260/272 109Lc 1 deg ret

.006 = 250/264 108Lc 0 deg straight up

.050 = 196/204 109Lc 3 deg adv

.200 = 110/118 109Lc 4 deg adv"

sootie007

Nice chart with GM grinds on it ...

http://www.gmtips.com/3rd-degree/dox/tips/cams/cams.htm

86LG4Bird

iTrader: (1)

Good info on the Ramjet cam!

No, I never saw the Bandit car, but saw some exotics sitting there at the ranch occasionally.

sootie007

I see a few opinions on here from time to time about cams put in that suck because they dropped off in power at ~4700 rpm......I just read a very informative Corvette article on the TPI motor where they swapped a CARB into place over the TPI THAT HAD A DECENT CAM IN IT (+87 hp +49 ft lb) ...the 650 Carb and Performer Intake produced 31 more peak hp but 7 less ft lbs PEAK tq over the TPI ....HOWEVER carb lagged tpi torque by 20-25 lb-ft from 2,500 rpm to 4,300 rpm....beyond 4600 the carb setups torque hung in longer and the hp continued to climb.....So after reading this article I think when a few guys have done cam swaps then they blame the cam grind when really it was the limitations of the TPI manifold causing the laying down feeling at 4700.


From the article ....
"The TPI After some minor tuning, the TPI small-block surprised us by producing 332 hp at 4,700 rpm and 394 lb-ft at 4,000 rpm. Given that the L98 was originally rated at 245-250 hp and 345 lb-ft (1991 figures), we suspect that this particular motor was equipped with a mild aftermarket cam. Compared with L98s we'd run in the past, torque was actually down a bit, while peak horsepower was up. Despite the questionable cam scenario, the TPI motor produced impressive torque up to 4,500 rpm, offering over 350 lb-ft at just 2,500 rpm. As expected, the horsepower curve fell off rapidly after peaking at 4,700 rpm.

After running the TPI system we switched over to the Barry Grant 650 Speed Demon carburetor and Edelbrock Performer RPM intake. The swap went very smoothly, thanks to the engine dyno, and in no time we were up and running. Using an MSD billet distributor, we dialed the same advance curve into the carbureted L98 and spent some time jetting the carburetor to replicate the 13.0:1 air/fuel ratio provided by the TPI system. The results were impressive, with the carbureted L98 producing 363 hp at 5,900 rpm and 387 lb-ft at 4,100 rpm.

As expected, the carbureted intake produced much more peak power, offering a gain of over 50 hp out near 5,500 rpm. But down low, the TPI reigned supreme, generating better numbers from 2,500 rpm to 4,300 rpm. It all boils down to where you want your power-down low or up top-and how much of an emphasis you place on the TPI's superior fuel economy and visual appeal. Carburetor vs. TPI
It's not terribly surprising that the stock L98 TPI system produced more low-speed power than the conventional carb and dual-plane intake. What was interesting was the difference in power out past 4,500 rpm. Whereas the TPI signed off with 332 hp at 4,700 rpm, the carbureted setup continued pulling strong, reaching a peak of 363 hp at 5,900 rpm. Though the peak torque production differed by just 7 lb-ft, the TPI combination made a solid 20-25 lb-ft more from 2,500 rpm to 4,300 rpm. For a drag-race application, there's no question the carbureted setup would be the way to go. For throttle response, fuel mileage, and overall driveability, the story would be quite different.

http://www.vetteweb.com/tech/vemp_06.../photo_11.html


Read more: http://www.vetteweb.com/tech/vemp_06...#ixzz2vF6zWuyL



Read more: http://www.vetteweb.com/tech/vemp_06...#ixzz2vF5ksjEK

86LG4Bird

iTrader: (1)

I've seen that same phenomena first hand running identical cams under an L31 intake (350 Vortec engine that came in the 96-2000 pickups, Tahoes, Suburbans) versus under an LT1 intake.
The stock L31 cam happens to be the same grind that came in the B/D-body LT1 cars (Caprice, ImpalaSS, Roadmaster, Fleetwood), 191/195/111, .418/.430 lift.
It peaks at 4550 in the L31 motor with LT headers, free flowing exhaust and intake, and is all done at 5100 rpm.
In the LT1 with the same mods, it peaks at 5200 rpm and I shifted at 5900 for best ET's.
A ZZ4 cam in the L31 motor is all done by 5300; in the LT1 the shift point is about 6300 rpm!

sootie007

Bird, yep its not like the old days where an intake was an intake etc - ...now I believe they "tune" these intakes for the individual applications ,,,truck designs are tailored towards low end performance -rpm's , sports car design upper -end performance etc ,,,,like you read 100's of times its all in the combination of specific parts ....its so easy to mismatch parts these days ....you just need to open your eyes to combos that work for other people at the track and or like yourself keep experimenting until you hit on a great combo...... so after seeing that article on TBI intake being a bottle neck above 4600 and since I am going with the dual plane that should improve 4600-5500 do you still think I should go with the RAMJET torque grind less duration / more lift 109 LC or go with the L98 grind which has more duration , less lift ,117LC ? Splitting hairs I know..............

P/N GM 14097395 246/256 .431/.451 109 ...cam used in RAMJET 350 350 HP 400TQ , HT383 RAMJET 340 HP 435 TQ

P/N GM 10066049 258/263 .415/.430 117...cam used in 88-89 L98 Corvettes 240 HP 330 TQ

NOTE p/n for guys down the road ...after alot of digging I found Sealed Power makes a replacement L98 roller camshaft at these specific specs 257 264 .409 .426 117 LC Sealed Power P/N CS-808 ..it not $300 more like $224 at Summit so you could save a little $$ there .

86LG4Bird

iTrader: (1)

The Ramjet cam; no question about it.
Always MATCH components -- that's the way you end up with the most area under the power curve. Applies to all street and street/strip cars.
Compromising the preferred powerband of the intake and trying to make up for it upstairs with a a mismatched cam will prove futile. Based on my experience running small cams in 350's and 305's, the Ramjet cam will make equal or better power at 5500 than the L98 cam will anyway.
I'll refer you back to the powerband I had with the baby L31 cam in a good (LT1) intake. The Ramjet is more cam and the dual plane wants lower, so your component match is BETTER!

sootie007

Going with your recommendation Bird ..RAMJET it is .....subject to change of course LOL.....

sootie007

Started pulling it apart today with the little spare time I had ....aaaargggh all the pollution control stuff has got to go !!!!!!!! What a pain .....anyway here are a few boring pics of the disassembly and new pieces I bought.....even though I bought the cam from Summit it originally came from Scoggin Dickey as labeled . Will post more pics as I make progress...it will be slow as I only get a few hrs a week to put into it . Note was surprised to see nice annular style boosters on this reasonably priced carb.

sootie007

A few more

Fast355

iTrader: (2)

Yet the same intake with a LT4 cam will pull to 5,500 rpm with relative ease. LSA, overlap and cam timing make a big difference. The ZZ4 cam only peaks at 5,400 in the ZZ4 with its high flowing dual plane intake.

The L31 cam is advanced 5* in the truck and straight up in the B-car LT1s. The cams have different part numbers.

I also concur the Ramjet cam is a good cam in the 305, albeit a little small for my tastes. With 059 heads and the marine MPFI intake it makes 250 Net HP in a 9.4:1 305, 290 HP in a 350 and up to 340 Net HP in the 6.2.

Power ratings are 253 HP @ 4,800 and 302 TQ @ 3,800 and that is NET rated, which is about 10% less than what you would see on an engine dyno.

sootie007

Thanks Fast those numbers sound fine to me and exactly - realistically what I was shooting for with this mild combo .

86LG4Bird

iTrader: (1)

LT4 cam....to 5500..with relative ease? ...under a STOCK L31 manifold? Take the "relative ease" out and I won't flatout call you nuts. Not with a stock L31 manifold! Maybe you can tell us how you ported that one
The ZZ4 cam is more of a revver than the LT4 production cam, and the ZZ4 is all done by 5300 under a STOCK L31 manifold.

Good point. I found the cam dead nuts straight up in the LT1, but never checked in the L31 engine. That would explain a couple hundred rpm difference. The point was that the intake manifold is a big factor for any cam.
.
.
.
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Ramjet cam + 305 = we agree!

sootie007

A little more progress - got the air pump off , all the air injection tubes off of the manifolds.....to fill the holes I used these plugs available at Lowes and Home depot qty 8.......1/4 " pipe plugs. P/N LFA -737 .

Still have some more piping and emissions junk to go ...I am convinced there is a small block Chevrolet under all this crap somewhere lol.

NOTE : Decided later to scrap the factory exhaust manifolds and ran Summit shorty headers and Flowtek -Y pipe instead .

sootie007

Christmas was early for me lol...I got 12 full hrs away from the kids today and pulled a marathon on the swap .....I got the cam in , started painting all my brackets , engine compartment, front suspension, valve covers etc ......

I have two questions as I am coming from the Buick world .....

1.) On hydraulic roller lifter adjustment ....do you tighten it until the pushrod gets snug but you can still spin it barely - then go 1/2 turn ? OR ?

2.) Is the front cam bearing in the roller block supposed to line up with an orifice in the block or are they back grooved ? ...my front cam bearings holes are approximately at 7 and 5 oclock but I don't see a matching hole in the block when I shine a light through them ?

UPDATE : After further research by myself said tightening until the spinning stopped is not a good method - per internet suggestions I simply grabbed the pushrod and slowly / incrementally tightened until all the up and down movement is gone from your pushrod yet not compressing the lifter cup- THEN went 1/2 of a full turn to preload the lifter. This is of course done on the backside of the cams lobe - valves you are working on. I ended up with 4-5 threads showing on each head studs across the board.

NOTE : FOR NEWBIES #1 TDC "Firing" - the crank sprocket timing dot is at the 12:00 position and the camshaft timing dot is at the 12:00 position as well .

sootie007

So tonight I was happy it was time to put the intake on ......I set some RTV up on the engine ends , placed my gaskets on the heads I then put the Edelbrock EPS intake (p/n EDL-2701) on my 91 305 with swirl ports started torqueing a few corner bolts down and was pissed to find out the intakes holes don't line up the center 4 bolt holes in the heads - they are partially obstructed and need to be slotted aaaaarrrrgggh ....so I slotted them with my drill but gave up tonight since all the freshly placed RTV was trashed and needs to be scraped off and laid down again etc. Here is a pic that illustrates the different bolt hole angles on those center 4 bolt holes which are almost straight up and down as opposed to the end bolts which are angled .

Z28REGAN

Very nice mini build. I plan on doing the same thing to mine. I have a wedding to pay for next year, so no money for any big swaps.

Mortorq

sootie007,

Hope this isn't considered a threadjack, but what are you considering in your fuel line routing?

There seems to be 3rd gen carb fuel percolation/heat soak issues when converting to carbs, even o.e.m. versions.

Looks to be a more fun-to-drive 305. Nice cam choice with the short duration but tight 109` LSA Ramjet cam.

sootie007

Hadnt heard of any percolation issues .....I will let you know how mine runs when complete ....... I got a few more things done today with the limited time I had ...heres a pic as it sits now...still a long way to go .....but its getting there . This Edelbrock EPS intake is supposedly slightly better than the old Performer by like 10 ft lbs.

Note : I made all my braided fuel lines slightly longer on purpose to try and address any percolation issues others are supposedly having . My fuel lines also do not touch any hot metal surfaces anywhere. Additionally the Summit carb comes with the thickest carb to intake base gasket I have ever seen . Its made of a black spongy material and is ~1/4 to 3/8 inch thick. In the end it didn't work I still had percolation issues . I had to run a plastic 1/2 inch carb spacer to fix my percolation issues and that fixed it.

Mortorq

Sootie007,

Yes, I'd certainly would like to know how it runs when you're done.

Should be "more better" with your upgrades & the carb.

Very curious to know how the FLA under hood heat affects the 10% ethanol-laced gas in your lines.

Some TGO folks have had issues. (had searched percolation/heat soak under "carburetors") here. Thanks, looking forward to your progress.

sootie007

Against my original plans to keep the cost down on this - I decided to yank the factory exhaust manifolds last night and go with the Flowtek/Summit headers and matching Y Pipe. My logic -might as well squeeze every bit o' H.P. and TQ out of this 170 HP dog while I have it apart LOL....headers and Y-pipe should get about 10- 15 hp , 10-15 TQ I would imagine on this mild setup.

86LG4Bird

iTrader: (1)

Good move. Just make sure you get the system for the TPI cars, and not the restrictive system intended for the LG4/L03 cars.

Gunthrock

Well this is a new twist and I could use some help I have a 89 I ROC and with the TBI 305 it locked up so I got a 383 off a friend put a 4 barrel carb and hti dist on it + a fuel pressure reg trying to bypass the CPU the car starts right up runs grate for 2 min then starts running really rough and will die out

86LG4Bird

iTrader: (1)

a new twist? lol! ......looks more like a thread hijack to me.

Start a new thread, put some more detail into it, and pray that someone can read what you're trying to say

sootie007

Decided to do away with the BIIIG wheel A.C. delete pulley ....so after 4 trips to the parts store for the wrong size belt I finally got one that works - fits with some routing tweaks. Dayco P/N 5060825 . Its a 6 rib 82.5 " . Routing is slightly different but I think it will work fine . A few pics of the serp routing and how it sits now. If you see any issues let me know . I will be making my braided stainless fuel lines next .

sootie007

Started making braided fuel lines from the regulator last night. What a pain. I had forgotten how hard that stuff is to work with. I ended up tie wrapping each piece super tight on the end of the braided hose before cutting the hose with a cutoff wheel. That keeps the fraying down so you can get the hose ends on easier and put the fittings in. Years ago I bought a stainless hose cutter from Summit - absolute waste of money - frays the hell out of the hose ends when you cut it. The cutoff wheel tie wrap method works for me. I then blow each hose out really good with my compressor to make sure there is no debris inside. Will snap a few pics later of the progress.

Mocked up the carb, fuel lines , fuel pressure gage, regulator and wow you guys were not kidding when you say the carb is close to the hoodline. I am thinking of using this factory Ford style low profile air cleaner like the 289 HI PO and 302 60's Mustangs used on my 305. Even though its a low profile air cleaner it has an ever so slight raised area just above the 4V carb throats even though its only 14 " by 2" -2.25" filter . Here is a pic of one . It has a recessed carb nut / stud and a super low profile to fit under those hoods back in the day .I have seen them on Cobras , Shelbys at car shows and surprisingly its under $25 complete from Summit with filter ! V8 302 Bronco guys use them too apparently with no issues. Its from a company called Scott Drake .

sootie007

A little more progress ,,,,waiting on AN fittings from Summit ....received VHT FLAMEPROOF paint and primer header paint today so I will shoot the headers this weekend hopefully....its all coming together. Ford HIPO 302 air cleaner Summit P/N C5ZZ-9600-W $25 see in pic ...had to grind the carb stud rod down that came with it a bit as it sat too high and would have poked the hood. Finished the carb linkage and tranny kickdown connections. I used the Summit Racing P/N SUM-M08080 $19 -700R / throttle cable bracket...it worked out perfect..its a good piece one bolt and your done. Its the type that connects to one carb mount bolt and its a heavier gauge steel ...not the flimsy types you see out there made of thin steel that can bend - deform etc . I had to drill out the stock TBI linkage hole in the end of the throttle cable slightly because it wouldn't fit over the linkage stud that came with the Summit carb.

After I get it running I am going to prune that BIG FAT wiring harness and get all those wires hidden or out of there for a cleaner look .

sootie007

Braided lines made ...regulator is installed ....finished coating the headers with VHT FLAMEPROOF 1300-2000 ....I even bought and used their primer as instructed before painting . We will see if it doesn't burn off or not .....also detailed the radiator .I am going to do a fuel pump pressure leak test later this week ...once I know everything fuel wise is leak free I will install the new plugs , stab the distributor , headers , y pipe , radiator and be ready to fire it up .

graysmoke

This is a good upgrade build. I'll be waiting to hear your opinion on the results. Have you considered a gears?

sootie007

Thanks ....Gears yes, 3:55 or 3:73 's early next year ....for right now I just wanted to go carb , intake , smallish cam , distributor , headers - swapped over to old school tech that I can understand / manage lol ....really just to get it where it was a little more fun to drive . In a few years as time and budget permits I will put a stout 383 , converter etc in it ...... this is plenty good enough for now. I will let all know how it runs when finished. I got the radiator , hoses , fan assembly all back in tonight . stupid AN fuel filter is on back order so I cant do my fuel pressure - leak test yet ....it should be here in the next few days ......

sootie007

Progress tonight....AN FUEL filter arrived and is installed , shorty Summit / Flowtek headers are in...... went in pretty easy REALLY tight to frame however on the drivers side .....attached transmission lines ,stock single fan is in , primed the oil pump with a drill , put the distributor in and started running the plug wires...put all new Spark Plugs in Delco R45TS. I got some Ebay Tall smooth center bolt valve covers to top this engine off really nice BUT unfortunately the stock gaskets are not long enough length wise ? So I put the stock valve covers back on for this startup......Sooooo I will run a Fuel pressure - leak test tomorrow or Sunday , run - make power and tach wires to the distributor , fill the radiator, finish the spark plug wires and hopefully try to start this thing Sunday with open headers .

sootie007

TROUBLE today and I need some suggestions....I did a fuel pressure leak test and it was leaking at BOTH 3/8 unused ports on the regulator. I bought two brass Home Depot 3/8 pipe plugs to put in there and both are leaking . I didn't use Teflon tape on them per Mallory. The AN ports and hoses I made going in and out of the other regulator ports are not leaking at all . So how can I fix this ? For both to be leaking is troublesome - I have never had these leak before and I cant figure out what could have happened ? Is there some sort of fuel safe thread sealer I can put on them to try and seal both plugs again ?

Did a little wiring today ...I hope its correct ...so I am taking a few pics to show people the 2 harness wires that are needed for an HEI on my 91 RS TBI 305 ....first pic shows the Grey connector with the pink and white wires you will need on the intake mounted coil as normally seen- connected , then with the connector pulled off , then the 2 HEI cap connections for (tach) and (BAT) . Pink on the harness is key switched +12 (BAT) and white is for the tach.

Next I rigged up a vac fitting for going over to the Brake Booster from the intake . I bought a 3/8 - 90 degree elbow and a 3/8's hose barb from Home Depot - pics ....it came really close to hitting the Summit carb base but just barely cleared as seen in the pic. Thank god that gasket that comes with the summit carb is super thick -I guess the thick design is to aid in heat isolation from the intake to carb base.

sootie007

Pics of elbow behind the carb in the intake for the brake booster ....p/n's LFA-294 3/8 hose barb , LFA 782 3/8 90 deg elbow .

sootie007

Did some reading around on other sites ...it appears the leaking on the unused Mallory regulator ports with 3/8 pipe plugs is pretty common. Home Depot sells a gas compatible thread sealant called RECTORSEAL # 5 which I will buy today . So I am going to buy qty 2 NEW 3/8 pipe plugs and put some of this sealant on it and see if that stops the leaks...it should and I should be ready to start it. Tonight however I am going to put on the Y pipes on the headers .

dmccain

iTrader: (2)

Very interesting build! Im anxious to see the finished product.